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By Jake Donovan - Can we call it the fight to save the heavyweight division?
Probably not, but Saturday night will represent a return to the time-honored tradition of giving a damn about boxing’s big boys.
There’s very little to not appreciate about this weekend’s heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola, which takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles (Saturday, HBO, 10PM ET/7PM local time).
Historical angle? You have the possibility of Arreola becoming the first ever fighter of Mexican descent to claim heavyweight hardware. Regardless of your opinion on alphabet belts these days, Arreola defeating the 6-1 favored Klitschko would rate as a very big deal.
There’s also Klitschko becoming the first fighter to headline three shows at the Staples Center, currently tied with Shane Mosley and Erik Morales for such honors (Morales also has an undercard appearance at the venue, but more on that later).
Modern significance? The Klitschko’s currently have a stranglehold on the heavyweight division. It’s either a good or a bad thing, depending on your viewpoint.
Currently, Wladimir is regarded as the lineal heavyweight champion by those who keep track of such things. To everyone else, he’s simply the best heavyweight in the world. Whatever the label, the most common perception is that Wladimir is number one, with big brother Vitali right behind him. [details]
Probably not, but Saturday night will represent a return to the time-honored tradition of giving a damn about boxing’s big boys.
There’s very little to not appreciate about this weekend’s heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola, which takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles (Saturday, HBO, 10PM ET/7PM local time).
Historical angle? You have the possibility of Arreola becoming the first ever fighter of Mexican descent to claim heavyweight hardware. Regardless of your opinion on alphabet belts these days, Arreola defeating the 6-1 favored Klitschko would rate as a very big deal.
There’s also Klitschko becoming the first fighter to headline three shows at the Staples Center, currently tied with Shane Mosley and Erik Morales for such honors (Morales also has an undercard appearance at the venue, but more on that later).
Modern significance? The Klitschko’s currently have a stranglehold on the heavyweight division. It’s either a good or a bad thing, depending on your viewpoint.
Currently, Wladimir is regarded as the lineal heavyweight champion by those who keep track of such things. To everyone else, he’s simply the best heavyweight in the world. Whatever the label, the most common perception is that Wladimir is number one, with big brother Vitali right behind him. [details]
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